


My Hope - Nagito Komaeda X Reader

by Kapdixo



Category: Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: F/M, Fast-Paced Relationships, Reader-Insert, Suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-11
Updated: 2017-10-11
Packaged: 2019-01-16 05:49:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 23
Words: 11,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12336702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kapdixo/pseuds/Kapdixo
Summary: Love comes slow, and it goes so fast. That's what they say, right? In this case, it's reversed. Love came fast, and it went away slowly. Or did it?





	1. Is This Love?

"Who do I spend my free time with?" You wandered around the beach, looking left and right. This was complete and utter madness. You were being held prisoner on an island, where you would be forced to kill each other. Two days and you were already going crazy. "This sucks."

"Yep."

"Huh?" You came to a stop. "Who said that?"

"Me." You looked to your left, finding a white-haired boy in a hammock "Hello."

"Hi...?" You tried to remember who this person was. "Um...Nagito?"

"Yep!" Nagito jumped down and landed right in front of you. "Nagito Komaeda! And you are...?"

"(Y/N) (L/N)."

"Ah, yes. Sorry, I'm not good at remembering names." He held out his hand, and you shook it. "Crazy stuff, right?"

"That's quite the understatement." You let out a tired sigh.

"What's your Ultimate Talent?"

"Um, (T/N)."

"Heh, at least you have a good one." He crossed his arms. "I'm just the Ultimate Lucky Student."

"How does that work?" You tilted your head.

"I'm just a normal student, I was selected out of a drawing. Not very exciting." Nagito smiled gently.

"I think it's cool!" You couldn't imagine how lucky someone would have to be to win such a drawing.

"Really?" He cocked his head. "Oh, thank you..." He went quiet for a moment. "(Y/N)?"

"Yes?" You gave him a questioning look.

"Will you be my friend?" he asked timidly.

"Sure!" You were caught off guard when he suddenly hugged you.

"Thank you," he whispered. "I've never had friends," Nagito explained. You two were sitting on the beach now, the waves crashing over your feet.

"Why not?" How could such a sweet guy not have friends?

"They think I'm weird." He let out a humorless chuckle. "But I don't care what they think, I don't want to change at all."

"Ah." You kicked your feet a little. "I saw you talking to Hajime."

"Yeah, he's also my friend." A goofy grin spread across his pale face. "I haven't been this happy in a long time."

"I'm glad." You put on your thinking face. "Wanna go in the water?"

"I don't know..." He watched the ocean warily.

"Come on, it'll be fun!"

"Well, let me go get swimming trunks, okaAAAAAYY!" He let out a scream as you pushed him in.

"What's wrong with going right now?" You jumped in with him, the water splashing around you.

"Aw, I like this shirt!" Nagito pouted.

"You can wash it later." You splashed him aggressively. "Oops, I messed it up even more."

"Oh, it is on!" He splashed you back, and soon you were having a giggly water fight. "Give up!"

"Never!" You coughed as you were pulled underwater. The asshole had grabbed your ankle. "Hey!"

"I win," he smirked.

"Cheater!" you wailed.

"Nuh uh!" He tackled you underwater. You both laughed as you washed up on the beach. "Aha...I haven't had that much fun in a long time."

"Same here." You looked down, realizing you were straddling him. "S-sorry!" You tried to get up, but he just pulled you back down. "Wha-"

"I like you right here," Nagito mumbled.

"What...?" Your face turned an impossible shade of red. "Um..."

"What's wrong?" he asked, pulling you closer. "Ah, you're cute when you blush."

"Sh-shut up!"

"Make me," he growled.

"Fine!" Without thinking, you slammed your lips against his. He let out a squeak and tried to push you off, but you wouldn't budge. He finally gave up and melted into it. Then you realized what you were doing. "Oh my gosh!" You scooted back. "I'm so sorry! I don't know why I did that!"

Nagito brushed his fingers over his lips, eyes wide. "I...I..."

"I'm sorry!" you shouted.

"No, it's okay!" He waved his hands frantically. "It's okay!"

"But...I just..." You trailed off. "Without your..."

"It's okay, (Y/N). It made me very..." he gently kissed you again, "happy."

"I see..." You were hopelessly confused.

"Hey." He held out his hand. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

"So soon?" You slowly took his hand. "Let's take things a little slow at first, okay?"

"Alright, cool. Wanna grab a snack?" He didn't wait for an answer and just dragged you off to the café.

\---

"How could this happen?" You curled up on the bed, hugging a pillow. Byakuya was dead, and it was one of your friends that killed him. "Why...?"

Knock knock.

"Hold on!" you called, shuffling over to unlock the door.

"(Y/N)...?" Nagito stood on the other side. "May I come in?" You nodded once and sniffed, stepping aside for him to enter. "Are you...are you okay?" You shook your head. "Oh..."

"He's dead," you whispered. "He's gone forever." Your shoulders shook, then you threw yourself at him without a second thought.

"AH!" He looked down. "Hey, it's okay." He started running his fingers through your hair. "It's all going to be okay."

"No it's not!" you sobbed. "One of our friends is dead! Things are never going to be the same again!" Your chest heaved as you kept crying into his jacket. "I want off this island! I want off right now!"

"(Y/N), please!" He pushed you off, holding you by your shoulders. "Would he want this?"

"N-no..." You wiped your eyes. "H-he wouldn't..."

"Yeah." He pulled you back into the hug. "Don't cry, I hate seeing you cry."

"I think I love you," you murmured.

"Wh-what?" Nagito's voice cracked. "You do?"

Uh oh, you messed up big time. But it was too late to take it back. "Yes," you sighed, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." He tilted your chin up. "I think I love you too. What I'm feeling right now, it's something I've never felt or been given...it must be love." He hesitated, then slowly brought you into a gentle kiss, which you gladly returned.

Love...


	2. Crazy for You

"Wait." Everyone in the courtroom turned to face Nagito. "I did it."

"W-what...?" you whispered. "You killed Byakuya...?"

"Almost," he corrected. "He...he saved me from being killed myself."

"Who tried to kill you?" You felt the tears coming back.

"You'll have to figure it out for yourself." His eyes clouded over with what could only be described as insanity. "Just never give up hope! Hope does come from despair, after all! Without despair, hope wouldn't exist!"

"What's gotten into you?!" you shouted. "Where's the Nagito I know and love?!"

"Love..." He stopped rambling for a moment. "No, you can't love trash like me."

"You think you're trash?" you asked softly. He nodded. "Well...mind if I take you out?"

"Will you two stop flirting and help us solve the fucking murder?!" Fuyuhiko grouched.

"Oh, right." You immediately focused back on the trial. "Thoughts, Hajime?"

"Um..." Hajime's eyes shot open. "You're the only one!" He pointed at Teruteru.

"T-Teruteru...?" Your eyes widened. "You killed Byakuya?"

"I didn't mean to!" Teruteru shouted. "I-I tried to kill Nagito, but he protected him!" He broke down sobbing. "I just wanted to see my mother again! I have to know if she's alright! Please, don't kill me!" He was still wailing after he was dragged off to be executed.

"So...is this the real you?" you asked timidly.

"Yep!" Nagito beamed. "Hope is everything!"

"Two of our friends just died!" you snapped. "Aren't you upset?!"

His face dropped. "Of course!" He suddenly looked happy again. "But we will rise up from this despair, and we will bring with us hope!"

"Shut up!" You covered your ears. "Stop talking about hope! Stop it!" You ran out of the courtroom, heading back to your cottage.

\---

"I'm so stupid..." You were curled up on your bed, just like you were several hours ago. "I rushed into things too quickly..." Nagito was dangerous, he tried to kill someone! How could you trust him anymore? How could you love him anymore? Well, you did.

"Maybe I could talk with him and sort things out," you murmured. You left your cottage, heading towards his. "Nagito?" You knocked on the door. No answer. You checked the name plate to make sure you had the right cottage. "Nagito?" You knocked again. Nothing. "Maybe he's asleep." You trudged back to your cottage, falling into an uneasy slumber.

\---

"Idiots," you grumbled, carrying a tray with pancakes and eggs. "Leaving him all alone like that." You made your way into the run-down building, searching for him immediately. "Hello?" You finally opened the door to the room where Byakuya was murdered.

"(Y/N)?" The sound of chains rattling filled your ears as Nagito struggled to sit up. "Hey."

"Hey..." You kneeled down next to him. "I brought you breakfast."

"Really? You brought breakfast to trash like me?" He tried to sit up again.

"You're not trash." You helped him sit up. "Syrup?"

"Yes please."

"Still so polite." You brought the fork up to his pale lips. "Open wide." He obliged, blushing a bit. "You're so cute." You kept talking to him as he ate. "Nekomaru and Kazuichi are the ones who brought you here."

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yep. I'll beat the hell out of them later," you assured him.

He chuckled. "You don't have to."

"I want to." You unchained his arms.

"Hm." Nagito finished the pancakes, then stared at you intently.

"What are you looking at?" You glanced left and right.

"You," he replied. "Sorry, I was blinded by your beauty."

"Sh-shut up..." You quickly looked away. "Just eat your eggs."

"I don't like eggs."

"Oh, Jesus Christ," you facepalmed. "I took time out of my schedule to bring you food."

"What schedule?" he smirked. "You don't have a specific routine."

"How would you know?" you shot back.

"I can read your mind..." He started laughing that same creepy laugh from the trial. "I'm just kidding, I have really good intuition."

"What's your real laugh sound like?"

"You've heard it."

"No, I've only heard you chuckle or snicker. Never full-out laughter." You tried to think of a way to make him laugh. "What's green and has wheels?"

"Umm...a green skateboard?" Nagito guessed.

"No, grass. I lied about the wheels." You cheered inside as he cracked a smile. "What's blue and smells like red paint?"

"...I don't know," he finally answered.

"Blue paint." He chuckled this time. "Okay, okay. What's a pirate's favorite letter?"

"R."

"No, it's F." He looked confused. "Didn't expect that, did you?"

"Guess not." He started giggling, which was downright adorable.

"Knock knock."

"Who's there...?"

"Daisy." You folded your hands in your lap.

He raised an eyebrow. "Daisy who?"

"Daisy me rollin' they hatin'," you sang.

"(Y/N), what the hell?!" Nagito covered his mouth, but it didn't work. He started laughing, actually laughing. Not the creepy one from that trial, but real laughing. "Youhohohou are terrible!"

"One time I got hit by a soda can. I'm okay, it was a soft drink."

"Stop, stohohop!" He clutched his sides as he fell back on the floor.

"You know what's big?" you whispered. He blushed heavily. "My house, you pervert!" You were on a roll. "So a guy walks into a bar and sees three pieces of meat hanging from the ceiling. The bartender says if he can jump up and hit each one, drinks are on the house. But if he failed, he'd have to buy drinks for everyone in the bar. He asks in he wants to try. The guy says, 'nah, the stakes are too high.'"

"Shut up!" he wheezed.

"One more. What's red and invisible?" He shrugged. "No tomatoes!"

"Stop, plehehehease!" Nagito finally stopped laughing, trying to catch his breath. "Oh man, wow...I can't remember the last time I laughed this hard. I'm not sure if I ever have."

"Your laugh is cute," you told him.

"O-oh..." He ducked his head, face aflame. "Thank you..."

"No problem." You just sat there for a moment, then you untied him. "There."

"Thank you again." He hugged you tightly, burying his face into your neck.

"You're tickling meee," you whined. "Let's just get you out of here."

"Alright." He stood up, stretching his legs. "Ah, that floor was uncomfortable."

"I'll bet." You held out you hand. "Shall we?"

"We shall." He took it, smiling brightly. "Oh, one more thing."

"Yes?"

"I'll laugh more for you."


	3. It's Official

"WHY DID YOU LET HIM GO?!" Kazuichi cried. "WE CHAINED HIM UP FOR A REASON!"

"Whatever." You gave him both the fingers. "Suck it up."

"You kidnapped me? That's not very nice." Nagito stared at him, a creepy smile on his face.

"Eep! I'm sorry!" He scampered off with a whimper.

"Why is he out?!" Hajime demanded.

"Because I let him out," you said simply.

"Why?!"

"Because you acted without thinking." You put your arm around Nagito.

"Why are you...?" Ibuki lifted a finger.

"Oh, that. Um..." He gave you a single nod. "Okay." Your lips met, right in front of everyone.

"Oh. My. GOD!" Ibuki squealed. "Ibuki so totally called it!"

"What the fuck?!" Fuyuhiko looked like was about to explode. Peko slowly held him back with her sword.

"What a surprising turn of events!" Sonia clasped her hands together. "How wonderful!"

"Eh, my Four Dark Devas of Destruction already predicted this," Gundham shrugged.

"OH COME ON! I TIED HIM UP FOR NOTHING?!" Nekomaru roared.

"Oh my," Mikan whispered.

"Ew, gross!" Hiyoko gagged, Mahiru popping up from behind her to take pictures.

"About freaking time!" Akane huffed.

"Nice," Chiaki smiled. Hajime was still standing there, frozen in place.

"I, love, you," you whispered between kisses.

"I love you," Nagito whispered back. You two seemed to have forgotten about everyone else, at least until Hajime cleared his throat. You broke apart quickly, faces red as tomatoes.

"Whoah, that was pretty steamy!" Akane shouted. "I didn't know she had it in her!"

"SHUSH!" You hid in his jacket.

"(Y/N)," Hajime began, "explain everything right now. Don't leave anything out."

"Okay..." And so you told the story from start to finish, gaining shocked looks at certain parts. "...and that's what happened."

"So soon?!" Hiyoko shook her head. "You guys are complete idiots! You can't fall in love with someone that fast! It's not love, you aren't in love! He's tricking you, (Y/N)! He-"

"Stop." Mahiru placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't do this."

"I think they are!" Sonia smiled brightly. "I know love when I see it, and it's right there!"

"I have to agree," Fuyuhiko added. "Even though I don't fucking like it."

"I agree as well," Peko nodded.

"Me too!" Mahiru shouted, taking more pictures.

"Same here!" Akane raised her hand.

"Y-yeah!" Mikan stuttered nervously.

"YEAH!" Nekomaru roared.

"Yeah!" Ibuki punched the air. "Ibuki approves!"

"Same," Gundham grunted, the Four Dark Devas of Destruction hanging on his scarf.

"Me too." Chiaki snapped awake.

"...fine," Hiyoko huffed.

"What about you?" Akane turned to Hajime. "Hajime?"

"I..." He looked conflicted. "I...don't know yet."

"Eh, fair enough. Where's the food? I'm hungry." You let out a squeak as Nagito pulled you over.

"And just where do you think you're going?" he chuckled, eyes clouding over with...something. Lust? "You're definitely not going anywhere." You let out another squeak as he kissed you, right in front of everybody again. Some of them groaned and left.

"Hey guys, what did I...?" Kazuichi stopped mid-sentence, standing in the doorway. "The hell did I miss?!"

"We're busy, shut up!" Nagito yelled. He just recoiled in horror.


	4. The Revelation

"No, no, no..." You shook your head, just repeating "no's" over and over again.

Mahiru, the Ultimate Photographer, leaning against the wall in a pool of her own blood.

"No!" You collapsed to your knees. "Not Mahiru! Why?! What did she do to deserve this?!"

"(Y/N), calm down!" Chiaki commanded.

"No!" You staggered to your feet, running out of the beach house. "I gotta get out of here, I gotta get out!" You ran all the way back to the main island and locked your door. "WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO US?!"

"(Y/N)! Open up!" a familiar voice called.

"Go away!"

"Please let me in!"

"Fine!" You threw the door open, revealing a sweaty, panting Nagito. "Did...did you run the whole way here?"

"Yes." He nodded breathlessly, then collapsed.

"Nagito!" You picked him up under his arms and dragged him onto your bed. "Hold on, I'll get you some water!" You grabbed an empty glass and filled it using your sink. You helped him drink it, then he flopped down again. "Are you not in very good shape?"

"I'm sick, (Y/N). Didn't you know?" He was still breathing heavily. "Why...why did you think my skin and hair were so pale...?"

"I...I just thought that was how you looked...what do you mean, 'sick'?" You were panicking again.

"Well, I have dementia, that's why I say things people consider weird. But the real problem...why I'm sick..." He averted his eyes.

"Tell me!"

"I HAVE CANCER!" Nagito blurted out. He quickly looked away.

"Wh...what...?" You felt like the wind was knocked out of you. "What did you say...?"

"I have lymphoma," he said quietly. "I'm trash, (Y/N). Sick trash."

"You aren't trash." You pulled him into a tight hug. "And even if you were, I don't care. I love you no matter what."

"If our memories really were stolen, then...oh god. What if I don't have much time left?" he asked, more to himself. "I suppose...I'd just spend it with you."

"Nagito..." Tears welled up in your eyes again.

"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, I haven't felt this lucky in my entire life. You're all I have now...I don't have parents to go home to, I lost my friends...but you still..." He shook his head rapidly. "I hated being alone. Don't die, (Y/N). Don't die and leave me all alone again."

"I won't die," you promised, wrapping your fingers around his. "I'll keep you safe."

"O-okay..." Nagito rubbed his eyes. "Heh, keeping trash safe..."

"One man's trash is another man's treasure," you pointed out.

"I guess so." He sighed deeply. "I don't care if I die, I just want you safe."

"I'll make sure you won't."

"But...I want to..."

"Could you handle leaving me forever?" You started trembling. "Could...I handle you leaving me forever?"

"No, I'm sorry I said that. I'm stupid." He lunged forward, immediately crying into your shoulder. "So stupid..."

"H-hey, just never give up hope." You tried to smile through your tears. "Absolute hope can break through any despair," you quoted him.

"Yes, it can." He stayed in your grip for hours.


	5. Bound By...

"The hell?!" you shouted. Ibuki was hanging from the ceiling, and Hiyoko was tied to a pillar with her throat slashed. "Not again!" You didn't have the time or energy to cry anymore, so you just left.

"(Y/N)!" Nagito scrambled to look for you.

You sat on the shore's edge, closing your eyes and listening to the sound of the waves. So calm. Nothing like what had just happened. You hugged your knees up to your chest. "Why is this still happening?" you mumbled. "Who would kill them?"

"We're actually trying to figure it out right now," a voice whispered in your ear.

"SUGAR HONEY ICED TEA!" You almost fell into the ocean. "You scared me!"

"Sorry," Nagito chuckled slightly. "Are you okay?"

"No, two more of my friends are dead," you replied sourly. "And it'll make three after the trial."

"(Y/N), I'm so sorry." He started rubbing your back. "We'll get out of here, and I'll take you with me. Never lose hope."

"I won't," you replied softly. "I'm glad you don't have the Despair Disease anymore."

"Me too. Hey, (Y/N)...if...when we get out of here..." He got down on one knee. "Will you marry me?"

"Wh-what?" Your eyes widened when you saw he actually had a ring. "Where did you-"

"Not important," he interrupted you. "So...will you...?"

"I..." You felt like this was a dream. "Let me think about it."

"Okay, I understand," he nodded. "Stupid move."

"It's okay." You pulled him into a tight hug. "Where would I be without you?"

"Ditto." Nagito played with your hair a bit. "I love you." He said it first this time.

"I love you too." Both of you fell asleep, forgetting about the trial.

\---

"Wakes wakey, assholes!" A foot nudged your side.

"Five more minutes," you groaned.

"No, we need to do the trial."

"Oh my gosh, the trial!" You shot up from the sand. How could you forget that your friends were murdered? You felt terrible.

"Don't feel bad," Fuyuhiko said quietly. "Let's go, you two."

"Fuyuhiko?" He looked up. "I'm sorry about Peko."

"...don't worry about it."

\---

"Holy hell!" Akane rubbed the back of her head. "I can't believe Mikan did that! She's crazier than him!" She pointed at Nagito.

"Don't call him crazy!" you snapped.

"It's okay, (Y/N). Trash like me deserves to be treated like this."

"You're not trash, and no you don't." You brought him into a gentle kiss. "I love you."

Akane gagged and walked out. "Gross..."

"Do that in your room!" Kazuichi whined.

"Eh." You walked back to your cottage, hand-in-hand. "I wish you wouldn't put yourself down so much."

"But I deserve it," Nagito protested.

"No you don't!" you snapped. "Stop saying that!"

"It's the truth!"

"No!" You dragged him into your cottage, setting him on the bed. "Please don't do this, it hurts seeing you like that..."

"Don't cry," he whispered, wiping a tear away with his thumb. "I'm sorry, I won't do it anymore."

"Okay." You sat in silence for a while. "Yes."

"Huh?"

"I will marry you."

"(Y/N)..." Nagito started crying softly. "You don't have to..."

"But I want to." You rubbed his back comfortingly.

"Okay..." He took the ring out of his pocket, then slowly put it on your finger. "I love you so much..."

"I know..." He gently pushed you onto your back, and you did a lot more than sleep that night.


	6. Why Me

"Mmm..." You woke up to the morning announcement, looking around. "Morning already...?" You looked down to find Nagito's arms wrapped around you, and his face buried into your neck. Both of you were naked. "What...?" The memories came flooding back to you, and you smiled. "My cute little cloud head." You kissed his cheek, looking down at your ring.

"Morning," he whispered in your ear.

"Morning." You gave each other an Eskimo kiss. "How'd you sleep?"

"Great, for once." His eyes drifted down to your chest. "Oh no! We-"

"It's okay." You pressed a finger to his lips.

"I-I stole your virgini-"

"Good. I'm glad it was you."

"Okay..." Nagito started dressing, and you followed suit. "The others are waiting."

"Yep." You stopped for a moment. "Actually, they can wait." You pulled off his shirt.

"Again?!" he squeaked.

"No, just cuddle with me," you laughed.

"You sure...?" He bit his lip. "You want to cuddle with tra-" He stopped when you shot him a glare. "I-I mean, me?"

"Yes, now get back down here." You pulled him next to you. He was so skinny, you could count his ribs. "You need to eat more. Aren't you cold like this?"

"No," he replied.

"Why not?"

"You keep me warm."

"Sh-shut up," you mumbled, blushing.

\---

"Wakey wakey." Nagito shook you gently.

"Hey..." You sat up. "What time is it?"

"Dunno." He was already fully clothed. "Let's find the others."

"Okay." You dressed quickly, then ran to the café.

"Oh, THERE you are!" Akane was the only one present, stuffing her face with food. "It's two in the afternoon!"

"Oh crap! I had no idea we slept that late!" You glanced at the clock.

"So...did you two have a great night?" she smirked.

"Shut up!" You ran out of the café, Nagito right behind you. "Let's swim."

"Okay." He immediately dove into the ocean, waving you over. "Come on in, it feels great!"

"Coming!" You took a running start and jumped, accidentally knocking him over.

"Ow!" He glared at you for a bit, then burst out laughing. "You're terrible!"

"I take after you," you shot back. "But there's still hope for us, right?"

"Right!" You ran around in the ocean all day, and nighttime came so quickly.

"Let's go." You and Nagito walked to the café, hand-in-hand. Everyone looked up. "Hi, guys."

"So...you and Nagito had some fun, (Y/N)?" Kazuichi wiggled his eyebrows.

"We-"

"You don't have to deny it!" Akane stuck her tongue out. "I already told everyone!"

"You didn't!" You made a grab for her.

"It's fine, we don't care what you two do behind closed doors," Chiaki shrugged.

"Yeah." Hajime tilted his head. "Do you have something on your hand?"

"Oh, um..." You looked down at the floor.

"We're engaged," Nagito announced, holding up your hand.

"WHOAH, NO WAY!" Kazuichi promptly fainted.

"How wonderful!" Sonia and Akane started fangirling.

"Meh," Gundham shrugged as Chiaki yawned.

"ALRIGHT!" the newly-remade Nekomaru roared.

"No fucking way!" Fuyuhiko raised a hand to his mouth.

"What." Hajime's jaw dropped.

"What, don't believe me?" Nagito hmph'ed. "Didn't we consummating it make-"

"Oh my god, shut up!" you cried.

"What? They already know."

"Sadly." Fuyuhiko rolled his eyes. "Thanks, Akane."

"You're welcome, babyface gangsta!" she beamed.

"Stop calling me that!"

"What's this? A lover's quarrel?" Nagito grabbed some popcorn. "Want some, (Y/N)?"

"Sure!" You took a handful. "Let's enjoy the show!"


	7. Fruits of Your Labor

"Yay, a whole night in Grape House..." You looked at all the rooms.

"I already called the Luxury one," Nagito smirked.

"Lucky bastard."

"Aw, don't be like that, my hope." He hugged you from behind.

"Your hope?" You raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, you're my hope." He kissed the top of your head. "Come on, let's go."

"Go where?"

"To the Luxury Room, of course!"

"But it's yours," you protested.

"I got it for us to share," he whispered in your ear.

"O-oh..." you shivered.

\---

You woke up in the middle of the night, stomach grumbling. "Hungry," you murmured.

"Me too." Nagito's face pressed against your head, startling you. "Just never give up hope, (Y/N)."

"I won't." You looked around in the dark. "What time is it?"

"Late?" he offered. "Let's go back to sleep."

"Sounds good. I love you, Nagito."

"I love you too, my hope."

\---

"Ugh, these colors make me dizzy." You sat down on a chair in Strawberry House. "Too bright...how could they stand this?" You looked around, realizing you were alone. "Nagito?" A bad feeling washed over you. "Nagito!" You ran down the hallway, bumping into Akane. "Ow! Sorry! Have you seen Nagito?"

"No, I haven't seen the freak." She rolled her eyes.

"Don't call my fiancée a freak!" You ran off, searching every room. "Dammit!" You threw the door open to the lounge.

"Hey." Nagito was lying across the couch, lifting his hand in greeting.

"Oh, thank god," you sighed in relief. "I was so worried!"

"I'm sorry, my hope." He hugged you tightly. "Safety in numbers appears to be the safest." He gently took your hand. "Let's keep looking."

"I'm hungry," you whined.

"Me too." His ribs were showing even more now.

"How long have we been here?"

"Three days," he panted, struggling to keep up.

"Jesus Christ," you muttered. "How much longer?"

"Until someone is killed." He leaned against the wall.

"I couldn't kill anyone!" you shouted, shaking your head rapidly. "Even if I starve to death!"

"...cannibalism?" he offered weakly.

"GROSS!" you gagged.

"Sorry." Nagito stood up again. "Let's keep looking."

You looked all day for a way out, but there was nothing. "Goddammit."

"Yeah," he agreed. "I guess we should just go to bed."

"Okay..." You made your way into the Luxury Room, dizzy all over. "Oh god..." You collapsed onto the bed with a groan.

"Hey, it's okay." He got in next to you. "Don't give in to despair."

"I won't..."

But you were seriously considering it.

\---

"(Y/N)! Wake up!" Nagito shook you awake roughly.

"What?" you moaned.

"There's a body!"

"WHAT?!" All fatigue washed away as you leapt out of bed. "Who?!"

"I don't know! Come on!" He grabbed your hand, and you raced to Strawberry/Grape Tower.

"Hey, guys," Akane greeted, looking furious.

"Who..." You trailed off, looking at the ground. "NEKOMARU!" You collapsed to your knees beside the robot. "He just came back to us..."

"WHO'S THE BASTARD RESPONSIBLE?!" Akane cracked her knuckles. "THEY ARE GOING TO PAAAAAAAAAY!"


	8. Now Madness Takes You

"Fricken Gundham," you grumbled.

"Agreed."

"Gundham..." Sonia hid her face in her hands, weeping softly.

"Miss Sonia, um..." Kazuichi brought her into a hug.

"Go away!" She pushed him off.

"Friendzoned," Nagito whispered. You laughed.

"You really loved him, didn't you?" Hajime touched her shoulder. She nodded once. "He loved you too."

"Let's go, (Y/N)." Nagito took your hand and walked you back to your cottages. "Stay in mine tonight."

"Okay." You waited patiently as he unlocked the door.

"Ladies first."

"Eheh..." You stepped inside, finding it no different than yours. "Nice place you got here."

"Thank you." He sat down on the bed and patted the space next to him. "Take a seat." You sat down, and he slowly reached under the bed.

"What are you..." You trailed off when you saw the knife in his hand. "Wh-what are you gonna do with that...?"

"Protect you." He looked towards the door. "They all want me dead. They think they'd have to kill you first to get to me." He twirled the knife in his long fingers. "But that won't happen, they'll have to get through me first."

"I love you," you whispered.

"I know." He pulled the blanket over the two of you.

\---

BANG! BANG! BANG!

"What the hell?!" You sat up in bed. The banging was coming from the door. "Oh god!"

"What is that?!" Nagito shot up, grabbing the knife. "Who's out there?!" No answer, just more banging. "I'm armed!" That didn't seem to deter the perpetrator. In fact, they knocked harder.

"Oh god..." You hugged him tightly.

"Don't worry, my hope." He walked up to the door. "Get the hell out of here!" More banging. "If you lay a finger on her, so help me, I will bite off every single one of your fingers and shove them up your-" The banging stopped.

"Thank god..." You slid back into bed, sighing in relief.

"Oh, (Y/N), don't cry." You hadn't realized you were crying until Nagito was wiping your tears away with his thumb. "No one is going to hurt you, I won't let them."

"O-okay," you sniffed. He kissed you softly, getting back in bed. "I love you..."

"I know."

\---

"Alright, let's check out the stupid new island." You rolled your eyes, walking across the bridge.

"Maybe we'll find a way out of here!" Nagito chirped.

"Maybe. You're so cute."

"Hm?" He cocked his head. "I'm cute?"

"The cutest."

"Ah. You're cute too, my hope!" He held hands with you the rest of the way across the bridge.

"So futuristic," you observed.

"No kidding." He looked suspicious at every classmate that walked by.

"Uh, what are you doing?" you asked.

"One of them tried to hurt you," he growled. "I'm trying to figure out who."

"It's fine, really!" you protested.

"No!" He nearly bumped into Fuyuhiko.

"Watch it, dumbass!" he hissed. "Some of us are trying to walk here!"

"Sorry."

"Jerk." You tried to keep walking, but he grabbed your arm. "What?!"

"Come to the hotel lobby tonight," he whispered. "And bring him."

"Why the hell should I listen to an asshole like you?"

"Just do it!" he growled, stomping off.

"What's up?" Nagito asked as you caught up.

"They want us in the hotel lobby tonight," you grumbled.

"Ah." He tapped his head. "It's obviously a trap for me."

"Wh-"

"Well, let's get ready to go!"

"Are you crazy?!" you hissed.

"Yep," he replied immediately.

"They're going to hurt you!" You kept carrying on all the way back to his cottage.

"Don't care." He unlocked the door, stepping inside. "It's going to be okay." He flopped onto the bed, you landing beside him. "(Y/N)?"

"Yeah?" You looked at him curiously.

"No matter what happens, I will always love you." He turned to face you. "You know that, right?"

"Yes. The same goes for me, I will always love you." You wrapped your arms around him, dozing off quickly.

\---

Knock, knock, knock.

"Hm...?" You sat up slowly, looking at the door. "Nagito, wake up."

"I am awake." He was standing right in front of you.

"You're quick." You opened the door, revealing someone you didn't expect. "Hajime?"

"Come with me." He beckoned you to follow him, which you did reluctantly. You walked into the lobby, only for Nagito to be ambushed. "What the-"

"Oof!" Akane pulled him into a headlock. "Wha-"

"Get the rope!" she cried.

"What the hell are you doing?!" You ran over, only for her to push you to the ground.

Nagito's eyes clouded over with insanity just like at the first trial. "DON'T TOUCH HER!" He broke free, running over. "Are you okay, my hope?"

"I'm fine." Your ears picked up on the sound of beeping. "Huh?"

"Move." He shoved you into the corner, and the sound of an explosion filled the room

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" you heard Fuyuhiko cry.

"IT'S A BOMB!" Kazuichi was freaking out.

And in the midst of the smoke, Nagito's insane laughter rang out.


	9. Shattered Heart

As the smoke cleared, you found everyone flipping out. Then again, you were too. "What happened?!"

"I planted a bomb!" Nagito laughed.

"What?!"

"There are bombs all over the place, enough to blow up the whole island!"

"Nagito, why?!" You fell to your knees.

"The traitor will reveal themselves!" he announced gleefully. "And then we'll get off this island! Never lose hope! Hope, hope, hope! Hope can break through any despair!"

"STOP IT!" You smacked him across the face, shocking both of you.

He raised a hand to his red cheek, then stared at you. "I just...wanted to do the right thing..."

"This isn't the right thing!" you snapped. "Look!" You held up your hand. "See this?!" You pointed to the ring. "We're getting married! You said we would when we got off this island, remember?! We can't if we're dead!" you snapped. "Get rid of the bombs!"

A single tear ran down his cheek. "I'm sorry." He walked out, leaving everyone behind.

"No..." You collapsed to your knees. "He wouldn't...my Nagito wouldn't..."

"Oh, wake up!" Fuyuhiko shook you by the shoulders. "He's always been a crazy bastard, of course something like this was gonna happen!"

"Fuyuhiko, stop!" Hajime pulled him off. "(Y/N)...I'm sorry. I truly am.

"L-let's just look for the bombs," you whispered.

\---

"Fireworks!" you cried.

"They're not bombs?!" Kazuichi clutched at his hair. "To the warehouse!"

"Wait, guys!" You ran after them, extremely happy. He hadn't betrayed you after all! Sure, you were angry that he tricked you, but you still loved him.

"HOLY SHIT!" Fuyuhiko yelled.

"What's wrong?" You looked over his shoulder.

The inside of the warehouse was engulfed in flames.

"NAGITO!" you cried.

"(Y/N), STOP!" Hajime tried to grab you.

"NO!" You began screaming as he pulled you back. "I HAVE TO SAVE HIM!"

"Here, take this!" Sonia handed you a bottle.

"Wh-what's this?" you whimpered.

"Fire grenades, throw them to put out the fire!" You desperately threw as many as you could until you ran out, and the sprinklers turned on.

"Thank goodness..." You took a step in, only for Monokuma to stop you.

"No, no, no! It's too dangerous to go in there with all the smoke! Wait a few minutes until it clears out!"

You growled, but sat down outside with the others to wait. "Stupid bear..." You suffered through the five longest minutes of your life.

"Okay, you can go!" he announced.

"YES!" You ran into the building, moving to the back where the flames hadn't spread very far. "Nagito! Nagito, where are you?" You saw a few droplets of blood, causing you to freeze. "No...no, it can't be..." You continued searching, and that's when you saw it.

Nagito's body, a spear impaled in his stomach.


	10. Extinguished

You screamed. You screamed and screamed forever, then started whimpering when you could scream no more. Your Nagito. Dead.

"(Y/N)!" The others ran in.

"Mmph," you whimpered.

"OH MY GOD!" Akane pointed.

"Oh geez, oh crap!" Fuyuhiko grabbed the sides of his head. "That's fucked up!"

"Who could've done this?!" Hajime reeled back until he hit the wall. Chiaki just stood silent.

"Wh-which one of y-you...?" You were shaking. "Which one..."

"(Y/N)?"

"WHICH ONE OF YOU TOOK HIM FROM ME?!" you roared. "HOW COULD YOU?! HE LOVED ME! A-AND I LOVED HIM! WE WERE GETTING MARRIED, WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO US?!"

"(Y/N)! Calm down!" Hajime grabbed you by the shoulders. "We will find out who did it, and make them pay." You nodded once, sniffling. "Go back to your room, we'll handle the investigation."

"O-okay..." You slowly approached his body, trying not to vomit. "Nagito...I love you." You placed a kiss over his gagged lips and closed his eyes.


	11. Deadly Trial, Part 1

Deep breath in.

Deep breath out.

Deep breath in.

Deep breath out.

You walked into the courtroom with everyone else, trembling slightly. _This is the end...he said this will all be over...but I don't believe a word he says._

 _"Have hope,"_ Nagito's voice whispered in your head.

"Always," you said aloud.

"Hey, (Y/N)." Hajime tapped your shoulder. "We found this in his room, it's addressed to you." He handed you a white envelope with your name on it.

"What-" You stuck it in your pocket, deciding to wait until after the trial to read it. You rolled your eyes as Monokuma starting beating up Monomi. "Jesus Christ..."

"I bet the traitor killed Nagito!" Fuyuhiko announced.

"Maybe..." You still weren't sure if this traitor was real, or just made up so you'd doubt each other.

"No, that might not be it," Kazuichi chimed in.

"Are you trying to protect the traitor? I BET YOU'RE THE TRAITOR!"

"NO WAY IN HELL!"

"Boys," you sighed.

"Fight, fight, fight!" Monokuma chanted.

"The killer didn't tape Nagito's mouth to shut him up!" Kazuichi butted in.

"Maybe it was just for humiliation?" you suggested weakly. It made you sick to think about.

"They tortured Nagito!" he added. You covered your ears.

"No, that's wrong!" Hajime interjected. "Nagito's mouth was covered with duct tape..."

"...so he wouldn't have been able to confess anything!" you finished.

"You're both in a trap!" Kazuichi declared. "Like you said, if Nagito's mouth was taped shut, you'd obviously assume he couldn't talk, right?"

You wanted to call him an idiot, but you held back.

"But that was the trap! They wanted to hide the fact that he got interrogated!"

Oh. That...sort of made sense.

"But if you tape his mouth shut, how is he supposed to answer anything?" Hajime was starting to fight back.

"Pay attention, this is how it went down!" Okay, now you REALLY wanted to tell Kazuichi he was an idiot. "First, the killer tortured Nagito and got information about the bomb's location! Then, after they killed him-"

Wait.

"ALLOW ME TO CUT THROUGH THOSE WORDS!" you and Hajime shouted.

"No, there's no doubt Nagito's mouth was covered with duct tape before he was beat up."

"Yeah!" you agreed.

"How would you know?!" Kazuichi wailed. "You weren't doing the investigation!"

"I did a little investigating after I came back out!" you shot back.

"Oh," he muttered.

"The blood on his face wasn't under the tape," Chiaki observed. "So it was there before the torture began."

"That's what I said earlier!" Fuyuhiko chimed in.

"Oh, you did? Sorry, I didn't hear you," you shrugged.

"HEY!"

"However, if they wanted to seal his mouth, they did not need to hurt him with such ferocity," Sonia spoke up.

"Monster," you muttered. Whoever did this to Nagito was a monster, plain and simple.

They were going to pay.


	12. Deadly Trial, Part 2

"Did the killer go psycho?" Akane asked.

"Probably," you muttered.

"The flames started right after I opened the door," she told you. "It seemed too perfect.

"So a setup was used..." Sonia rubbed her chin.

"That's our Miss Sonia!" Kazuichi swooned. "You have such an amazingly high intellect!"

"Good grief," you facepalmed.

"Alrighty then, let's think about this based on what Miss Sonia thinks! Is that okay, Miss Sonia?"

"Damn right it is!" she shouted, surprising you. You'd have to get used to those personality switches. You watched them debate back and forth, until Hajime seemed to come up with something.

"I also agree that opening the door is what started the fire."

"Huh? Really?" This had your attention.

"They used the Monokuma panels," he explained. "Like the domino effect, which was then used to strike that oil lighter."

"Wow," you whispered in awe. The person was sick, but you had to admit they were clever.

"The killer wouldn't have been able to leave with the panel blocking the door," Hajime pointed out.

"Huh?"

"Well, Akane was barley able to open it..."

"Were they hiding inside?" she wondered aloud.

"We were all outside the warehouse," Fuyuhiko sighed.

"Yeah, that's-" You stopped.

Oh.

OH.

"(Y/N)? Are you okay?" Sonia waved a hand in front of your face.

"It was him," you said quietly.

"Him? Him who?"

"Nagito. He...he killed himself."


	13. Deadly Trial, Part 3

"Of course!" Hajime agreed.

"Why'd you bring him up?! He's the victim!" Akane snapped.

"Big-boobed bitch," you mumbled.

"HEY!"

"He wasn't just the victim...maybe," Chiaki suggested. "He was the victim, and the perpetrator too...maybe."

"Are you saying this was a suicide?! D-don't be stupid!" Fuyuhiko nearly leapt across the podium. "A-are you saying the wounds were self-inflicted?!"

"Nagito would do something like that," she shrugged.

"Yeah, he would..." You hated saying that, but it was true.

"We need to discuss how Nagito was able to tie himself up." Chiaki looked deep in thought.

"Tie himself up," you murmured. Of course the lucky bastard tied himself up, he was smart enough to do so.

"It shouldn't have been both his arms." Everyone looked toward Hajime. "The rope on his right arm was completely burnt up."

So what? Wasn't that caused by the fire?

"It LOOKED like it was because of the fire...but that was part of the trap."

Of course, of fucking course. Your fiancée was still screwing with you postmortem. You almost laughed.

"The rope was burnt, but the sleeve wasn't," Hajime continued. "It was burned in advance so it would look like it was burned in the fire. His right arm wasn't really tied up."

"That's wrong!" Fuyuhiko butted in. "Even if it wasn't, there was still a knife stabbed into his hand!"

"He's right," you nodded. "You can't stab straight through your hand with the same hand."

"He must've used that plushie we found at the scene to prop the knife!" Hajime announced.

"Ah," Chiaki nodded. "He put the knife handle in the plushie, then slammed the back of his hand down on top of it..."

"Ow," you winced.

"There's still a problem," Fuyuhiko said. "How'd Nagito impale himself with the spear?"

"Crap," you sighed.


	14. Deadly Trial, Part 4

"He impaled himself and then stabbed his hand!" Akane shouted.

"No, if you got penetrated by something so big and thick, you would die instantly!" Sonia cried.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch all that..." Kazuichi was drooling.

"Oh god," you groaned.

"Like I said, if you got penetrated by something so big and thick, you would die instantly!"

"Ah, say it one more time...I need to record it...for reasons..."

"Hey bastard, you better cut it out!" Fuyuhiko interrupted.

You reached across your podium to smack Kazuichi in the head. "Excuse me pervert, we're trying to figure out what happened to my fiancée!"

"Ow! Okay, I'm sorry!"

"I don't believe Nagito's death was caused by one of us," Chiaki declared.

"I also agree," Sonia whispered. "To think that one of us could kill someone with such cruelty...I could never believe that."

"Same here..." You looked down at your hands. Had you been...wrong? Nobody hurt Nagito except for himself? So that meant everyone was innocent...right?

You were immediately interrrupted by an annoying voice.

"You say you can't believe it...puhuhu, you just don't want to believe it, right?" Monokuma laughed.

You never wanted to rip the stuffing out of him so badly until this moment.

"But that's why you keep getting betrayed over and over again, right?" he continued. "Same goes for this time too..."

"You just shut your mouth!" a high-pitched voice shouted bravely. Monomi? "It's against the rules to interfere with everyone! If you even think about doing anything, I have a plan of my own!"

"Oh shit," Fuyuhiko muttered, ducking down so he wouldn't be caught in the crossfire.

"Gaaaaah! M-Monomi's sassing me!" Monokuma whined.

"It's true we've been constantly betrayed." Chiaki' face was blank. "But even if I'm betrayed again, I still want to believe in everyone. No matter how many times I may be betrayed...I still want to believe in everyone."

"Yeah," you agreed softly.

"I also want to believe that there's no killer," Fuyuhiko sighed, "but suicide is unimaginable."

"It'd be difficult, but not impossible." She tilted her head. "I feel that there's...some way Nagito could have stabbed himself with that spear..."

And so the debate was on.


	15. Deadly Trial, Part 5

"Hold on," Hajime chimed in. "He still could've used his left hand, even though it was tied up. The bloodstain on his palm...don't you think it looked somewhat strange?"

"Like he was holding onto something before blood got on him!" you shouted excitedly. You were good at this!

"Like what, his front tail?" Akane asked.

"Oh god!" You covered your ears. "How would you know?! I'm the only one who knows what it-"

"Perish the thought, she meant he was grabbing the spear!" Sonia cried.

"Exactly!"

"It'd still be impossible, the hand was tied up," Fuyuhiko pointed out.

"He was holding onto the cord!" you told him.

"Ohh..." Hajime tried to figure out how Nagito was able to swing it at a perfect angle. He stood there for a couple minutes, until you finally got fed up.

"Oh, for the love of-he hung it over the girder, then dropped the cord for it to fall!" you shouted.

"Oh," he muttered. "I knew that..."

"Are you serious?! He...committed suicide...like that...?" Kazuichi was appalled. Quite frankly, you were too.

"He was wounding himself while gripping the spear..." Sonia let out a shocked gasp.

"He probably covered his own mouth with the tape so we wouldn't hear him screaming in pain," Chiaki added.

In pain...

He was in pain when he died...

And you couldn't help him.

"He was trying to steer us in the wrong direction and get us all executed!" Hajime grit his teeth.

"That's messed up...that's seriously so messed up..." Kazuichi clutched his head.

"Yeah, that's our Nagito," he sighed.

"Well, (Y/N)? You still love this monster after all this crap he's done? You hate him now, you have to." Akane looked right at you.

"He," you swallowed, "he..." A rush of anger suddenly hit you. "DON'T CALL HIM THAT! DON'T YOU DARE CALL HIM THAT!"

"Jesus Christ!" She stumbled backwards.

"(Y/N), think this through," Kazuichi warned.

"NO!" You whipped your head to look at him. "HE WASN'T A MONSTER!"

"(Y/N)!" Sonia and Fuyuhiko shouted.

"Calm down!" Hajime ordered.

"BITE ME!" you hissed. Monokuma pulled out some popcorn. "HE WASN'T A MONSTER, DON'T EVER CALL HIM THAT! AND AKANE!" She flinched as you addressed her. "YOU SAY I MUST HATE HIM NOW?" She nodded timidly. "WELL GUESS WHAT?"

"Wh-what...?"


	16. Deadly Trial, Part 6

"I LOVE HIM!" Hot, angry tears were running down your face. "NO MATTER WHAT HE DOES, I WILL ALWAYS LOVE HIM!"

"But-"

"YOU DIDN'T KNOW HIM LIKE I DID! HIS THOUGHTS, HIS FEELINGS, HIS DESPAIR, HIS HOPE! DON'T PRETEND YOU KNOW HIM! DON'T YOU DARE! IT'S NOT HIS FAULT THAT HE HAD A BRAIN DISEASE!" you finally screamed. Out of energy, you collapsed onto your podium. Silence fell.

"Brain...disease...?" Akane muttered.

"Frontotemporal dementia," you sobbed.

"What's that mean?" she asked. Fuyuhiko leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Oh..."

"A-and...h-he had c-cancer!" You sobbed harder. "But you never cared about his feelings! You only saw him as a monster, and not a human being!" You rubbed your eyes. "I-I was going to make the last six months of his life the BEST six months of his life..." You slumped over the podium. "But you hurt him...it's all your faults he's dead..."

"(Y/N)...we'll talk after the trial," Hajime said gently. You nodded.

"I'm sorry..." Sonia clasped her hands together. "There is one thing I still do not understand. Nagito said he would reveal the traitor, right?"

"There's no traitor," you sniffed.

"So it's voting ti-" Monokuma began.

"Hold on!" Hajime interrupted. "I feel like there's something we overlooked..."

"Something that relates to Nagito's death doesn't make sense..." Chiaki nodded.

"H-huh...?" You looked up.

"Something even he couldn't influence..."

"I see!" Hajime cried. "The Monokuma File doesn't specify the cause of death!"

"It doesn't?" You looked at it yourself. "Why?"

"Don't know...I don't think he'd let us solve something so easily, there has to be more to it..."

"Hmm..." And for the second time that day, you came to a startling realization. "Fire grenades."

"Huh?" Akane looked at you funny. "The bottles we threw at the fire to put it out?"

"Yes." You turned to Hajime. "Hajime, didn't you find a bottle of poison in Nagito's room?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Did it say anything about it being dangerous in a gaseous form?"

"Yes...?"

"Oh my god..." You squeezed your eyes shut. "Oh my god..." You squeezed your eyes shut. "One bottle was filled with the poison...he breathed it in and died..."

So the killer could be...

You.


	17. Deadly Trial, Part 7

"I see...I got it! Very good, (Y/N)!" Hajime praised.

"He used one of the fire grenade canisters?!" Akane sputtered. "That bastard...he totally knew we were gonna throw those fire grenades!" She turned to you again. "(Y/N), he's about to get one of us killed. Do you hate him no-"

"No!" you shouted.

"Even if the true culprit was you?!"

"I wouldn't hate him...I could never..."

"The aluminum was peeled off the tops to replace the contents!" Hajime exclaimed. "We found one in Nagito's room!"

"And a gas mask and gloves," Chiaki added.

"So THAT'S how he transported it without accidentally breathing it in." You had to admit, your fiancée was a genius.

"So what? He brought the canister and breathed it in," Kazuichi rolled his eyes.

"Yeah! If the canister wasn't thrown away, then it just means that there was no accomplice at all."

"You fucking idiots!" you shouted, surprising everyone. "It WAS thrown! Thrown, as in thrown into the warehouse when we were putting out the fire! One of us killed him!"

"She's right," Chiaki whispered.

"If that's true...then the person who brought the poison and spread it was..." Sonia trailed off.

"One of us killed him," you whimpered. "Please don't let it be me, please..."

"He didn't set the fire to destroy evidence, he set it so we'd have to throw the fire grenades!" None of you had ever seen Hajime look so pissed off.

"And now no one knows if they've thrown it or not!" Sonia sniffled.

"Nagito..." You put your head down. "What have you gotten us into...?"

"It is my fault...because I told you all about the fire grenades," Sonia whimpered. "I-I am so sorry! Please vote me as the killer!"

"I-it's not Miss Sonia's fault!" Kazuichi insisted. "This is all Nagito's doing..."

"What should we do?" Akane glanced around the courtroom. "How can we even figure out who the killer is?"

"It's impossible."


	18. Deadly Trial, Part 8

"It's too early to give up," Chiaki said. "It's just a hunch...but it's possible that it's probably...there's one way...I think. Let's look at Nagito's crime one more time from the beginning, I want to make sure my hunch is correct. Hajime...please."

"I got it. Let's do this, then!" Hajime told the story from beginning to end, not seeming to tell you something you didn't already know.

"How about it, Chiaki? Will that help you figure out who the killer is?" Akane asked.

"...what Hajime said is...probably true. That's part of the reason why I thought it was a little strange. Did Nagito...really not care who the killer was?"

"Huh?" You tilted your head.

"Ultimate Lucky Student!" Hajime cried. "That's what he believed in!"

"Meh, I guess that's the last thing he could believe in," Kazuichi muttered.

"It was pretty remarkable, wasn't it? It almost seemed like he had blind faith in it." Chiaki looked horrified for a second, then quickly switched back to her default facial expression.

"But his luck doesn't have anything to do with the case this time, right?" Hajime looked unsure.

"You know...he wasn't just after anybody. He probably had a target, a target he was aiming for all along. A person to set up as the killer. Even Nagito didn't know it, that's why he relied on being the Ultimate Lucky Student and incorporated that luck into his plan."

"Are you saying...?" You looked at Chiaki, horrified.

"That's it, the traitor," Hajime spoke up. "Nagito was after the traitor, huh?"

"Then he...relied on luck to weed them out?!" Fuyuhiko looked like he was about to explode.

"But who is the traitor...?"

"By finding out who the traitor is, our hopes will shine even brighter by overcoming that despair," Kazuichi quoted.

"The only thing we can do is believe Chiaki," Hajime finally said.

"If we don't, then we'd just be relying on our luck when we cast our votes." Akane gave a thumbs up.

"If, by chance, the traitor revealed themselves during that bomb scare...what would've happened?" Chiaki asked. "Would it have...stopped Nagito from acting so reckless?"


	19. Deadly Trial, Part 9 (Final)

"Huh?"

"But...they couldn't help it...even if they wanted to reveal themselves...they couldn't do it. Because...they weren't created to do that."

"Ch-Chiaki?" Hajime whispered. You squeezed your eyes shut.

"That's why...I want you guys to guess," she continued.

"You want us...to guess?" Sweat ran down his face.

"Chiaki," you squeaked.

"Yeah, I want you to guess," Chiaki nodded.

"What...what does that mean?" Hajime was starting to fidget.

"Who do you think it is, Hajime? Who do you think the Future Foundation sent to infiltrate your group as the traitor?"

"Wh-why?"

"A traitor who's not allowed to think that they're different from everyone else..." She was getting quieter.

"Why...?" he asked again.

"A traitor who can only interact with everyone as a traitor..."

"Why?"

"Because that's the nature of their existence...they can only exist as a traitor..." Chiaki kept rambling.

"Seriously...why?!" Hajime was fidgeting even more now.

"Who do you think...is the traitor?" No answer. She smiled softly. "Hajime...please."

"I-it's...you...?" he choked out. "Chiaki...you're the traitor?"

Silence.

"...aww, you totally guessed right!" she beamed. "Just as expected...yep, you're correct. I'm the traitor. The agent sent by the Future Foundation to hide among you all...is me."

"No," you whispered.

"...I'm sorry, it's the truth."

"You...up until now...you've been tricking us?" Kazuichi rubbed his forehead.

"We were not tricked!" Sonia shouted. "After all, we have been working together all this time...we have been helping each other all this time. Chiaki, being a traitor...being a member of the Future Foundation...that is obviously a lie!"

"No, I have nothing more to say. We already know the killer's true identity. The only thing left to do...is vote."

"This doesn't mean I believe in Nagito's luck, it means I believe in Chiaki," Hajime muttered, pulling the lever to vote. "I don't believe in him..."

"I do," you told him. He opened his mouth to retort, but you just stopped him. "And Chiaki. I believe in them both."

\---

"So his plan was to weed out the traitor and kill everyone else..." You walked out of the courtroom, shaken a bit from Chiaki's execution.

"I guess it would be pointless to ask if you hate him?" Akane looked at you.

"I'll never hate him." You stopped, turning to Hajime. "I'm sorry."

"Huh?" He gave you a puzzled look.

"You loved her."

"Wh-"

"I know you did, you don't have to lie." You placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Is this what it feels like when you lose the one you love?" Hajime whispered.

"Yes, it is." You slowly wrapped your arms around him.

"I guess...I understand how you feel about Nagito..."

"I'm sorry you had to find out this way."

"That's alright." He returned the hug slowly, biting his lip. He hesitantly put his head on your shoulder.

"Don't hold back, it's okay." You felt him tremble in your grip, then he let out a sniff. "It's okay, Hajime." You laid your head on his shoulder as well and sobbed with him.


	20. To My Dearest Hope

_"To my dearest hope,"_ you read aloud, glancing down at the letter. Everyone, Hajime, Fuyuhiko, Sonia, Kazuichi, and Akane, crowded around you in the café.

_"If you're reading this, I have carried out my plan. I am dead, and the traitor has been revealed. At least, I think that's what happened. There's no way of knowing._

_I just wanted to say I'm sorry for the things I did. You told me not to call myself this anymore, but I really am worthless trash to you all. I lied to you, like trash would do. And as such, trash has been taken out. I'm sorry, Hajime. You were my  first friend on this island. Well, first friend anywhere."_

"What?" Hajime looked baffled.

_"Kazuichi, you're cool. I think it's awesome that you've made all these little gadgets we can work with. You definitely deserve your title."_

"Eh?"

_"Akane, you're a huge hothead, but that's okay. We can all get like that sometimes. I know you have a big heart, and I admire that."_

"Hm?"

_"Sonia, I hope you like it here. Well, considering the circumstances, maybe not. It must be tough living outside of your native country, culture shock and all. I'm glad you've been enjoying yourself despite this."_

"What?"

_"Fuyuhiko, you're a badass babyface gansta, yo! Okay, I am never saying or writing anything like that again. You're so noble, standing up for the woman you love. I know Peko loved you too."_

"Hmph."

_"Chiaki, you're an awesome gamer. Not many people beat that Twilight Syndrome game (or tried), but you were able to figure out the tricks. I used to love gaming, I wish I still did."_

You all looked at the empty space next to you.

_"And (Y/N), my hope."_

You stopped for a moment, wiping your eyes on your sleeve.

_"You're the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart. Yes, I have one, stop laughing."_

He was right, everyone else was cracking up.

_"I thought that I'd have the worst rest of my life ever after I was diagnosed with cancer. Did you know I used to be a brunette?"_

"I can't even imagine!" Akane laughed.

_"I know, weird. When I saw you on the beach that day, I was immediately interested in you. I thought to myself, 'I've never seen such a pretty girl in my entire life.'"_

You stopped reading, blushing a bit.

_"Our first kiss on the first day we properly met. I must admit, that wasn't QUITE how I thought my first kiss would go (if I ever had it), but I'm not complaining. And it only took a couple days for us to confess our love for each other."_

"Aaw," Kazuichi cooed. You flipped him off.

_"I will never forget the look on your face you had at the trial when I revealed my true colors to you for the rest of my short life. I scared you...I scared the one I love. I never wanted to scare you. When I woke up with my legs tied and my hands chained together, I just stayed there and thought for a while. I was consumed by guilt, I had hurt you. When you came, I was ecstatic, I just didn't show it. I thought for sure you hated me, but you didn't. You made me laugh with your stupid jokes. Since you're probably reading this aloud...hey guys, knock knock."_

They all looked at each other. "Who's...there?" Fuyuhiko asked cautiously.

_"Daisy."_

"Daisy...who?"

_"Daisy me rollin', they hatin'."_

They all burst into laughter. "You really told him that joke, (Y/N)?" You rolled your eyes and continued.

_"I wish I could see the looks on their faces. I bet they look funnier than when we told them we were together for the first time. Then I told you how I was sick, and you still stayed with me. I proposed to you on the beach later on, and it made my year when you said yes that night. And then we had sex."_

You slammed the letter down, covering your face.

"TMI, dude!" Kazuichi groaned.

"Shut up!" You picked up the letter again, still blushing.

_"I take back what I said earlier, I bet THOSE were the funniest looks on their faces we've ever seen. Sorry. And then Akane told everybody, haha. That Grape House/Strawberry House was crazy, what with the Final Dead Room and all. You get such a rush when you play Russian Roulette, especially when you only take one bullet out."_

"He did WHAT?!" you shrieked.

"Oh, he didn't tell you? Whoops." Akane rubbed the back of her head.

_"I wish I could see YOUR face right now! Remember when I protected you after someone was rattling the doorknob and banging on the door? Oh, note to all of you, if that was one of you trying to get in and hurt my hope, I will haunt your ass."_

"I-it was me," Kazuichi confessed.

"Excuse me?! Why?! You scared us!" You sent him a glare.

"W-wrong room," he mumbled sheepishly.

"Ugh..."

_"That bomb I set off, I made sure it didn't hurt you. That's why I shoved you, sorry about that. And I lied to you...I will never forgive myself for that._

_If you're reading this, then you know what happened, and you aren't dead. Pretty clever way of setting up a murder, huh? It hurt like hell, though. Don't worry, I wasn't in pain for too long. What am I saying, some of you are wishing I was in pain longer. In my last moments before I let go of the spear, I was thinking of you. Always you. I hope you didn't throw the fire grenade that killed me. What am I saying, I know you didn't. I figured out only the traitor would throw it, and I know you were never the traitor. Intuition."_

You put the letter down to wipe your eyes again.

_"To be honest, I knew that you wouldn't die and only leave the traitor alive. I believe in you all, you're my very dear friends. Well, at least you used to be, I think. You're all alive and well, I'm certain. Maybe I was wrong about the traitor."_

You shifted uncomfortably.

_"All of you have hope that shines so bright, and I'm so proud to have known you all. You'll never give in to despair, I'm sure of that. I miss you all._

_(Y/N) (L/N), my hope, I love you so much. I just hope you still love me. Will you take me as your lawfully wedded husband?_

_Love,_

_~Nagito Komaeda~"_

You dropped the piece of paper. "I do," you whispered.


	21. Sea Breeze

"Isn't it a beautiful day, Nagito?" You stood on the beach, the waves crashing over the sand. "I feel like I'm dreaming, it's almost too perfect. It's as if I'm not stuck on this island with no way to get off." You chuckled humorlessly. "Ah." You bent down, picking up a single shell. Pure white. "It reminds me of you."

\---

"I'm sorry..." Hajime stood in front of Chiaki's vacant cottage. "I miss you so much, we all do. And I never got to tell you...I love you." He touched the sign next to the door, then walked off to the café.

"Hey, Hajime!" Akane waved.

"What's up, dude?" Kazuichi threw an arm around his shoulder.

"Not much, just-"

"Hello, everyone." Fuyuhiko watched them with a small smile.

"Yes, hello!" Sonia giggled, making Kazuichi swoon. "Such a lovely day!"

"Hey, has anyone seen (Y/N)?" They all shook their heads.

"Oh, there she is!" Kazuichi pointed at the top of the hotel building.

"Hello, (Y/N)!" Hajime waved at you, so you waved back.

"What's she doing up there?" Sonia wondered. "Oh, she must have such an amazing view!"

"Yeah..." Fuyuhiko watched you nervously as you got closer to the edge. "Be careful!" he called. You nodded.

"It really is a beautiful day," you sighed. "A hope-filled day." You looked down at your ring with a smile. "I love you."

You tilted forwards and allowed yourself to fall.

"(Y/N)!" All of the remaining students ran to catch you, but it was too late.

As your eyes began to flutter shut, you saw Nagito's face above yours, his mouth in an 'o'.

 _"Are you okay, my hope?"_ he asked.

"Better than okay," you whispered. And then you closed your eyes.


	22. Hello, Island Paradise

"Wha'...?" You slowly sat up, finding yourself in a hospital bed. "What happened...?"

"Oh my gosh, she's awake!"

"H-huh...?" You looked up to find your surviving classmates all around you.

"You idiot!" Fuyuhiko grouched, smiling a bit. "We thought we lost another person!"

"I can't believe she woke up!" Sonia kneeled down to look at you. "How do you feel?"

"Fine...?" You closed your eyes. "So I'm alive after all...damn..."

"Hey, don't talk like that!" Hajime snapped. "Nagito might wake up!"

"Wake...up...? I thought he was..." You clutched your forehead.

"Long story," Kazuichi chuckled sheepishly. "No one's dead, they're in a coma."

"Wh-"

"This was all a computer game," Hajime interrupted. "It was a simulation for us to regain hope. I'll explain it all later. But we're going to live on this island for the rest of our lives."

"Why?" you asked.

"We have nothing to go home to," he sighed. Before you could say anything else, he held up a hand to stop you. "Don't you want to go see him?"

"Yes..." You swung your legs off the side of the bed, stumbling.

"Whoah!" Akane caught you before you hit the ground. "You okay?"

"Dizzy." You allowed her to walk you through the hospital, finally stopping at a room. "Is this...?"

"Yeah, come on!" She opened the door, gesturing for you to go inside.

There he was, lying in a hospital bed.

"Nagito!" Forgetting how unsteady you were, you broke out into a dead-on sprint. "Nagito!" You stopped at his side, looking down at his peaceful face. "It's really you..." You ran a hand through his wild hair, burying your face in it.

"Ew," Akane gagged. "I'm just gonna leave ya alone..."

"Bye!" you waved. You looked down at Nagito lovingly. "I miss you."

\---

Every day. You were at his side every single day. You would talk to him, hold his hand, kiss him, and read to him. What? You had heard sometimes people could still hear and feel when in comas.

For three months, that's how long it went.

"Mmm..." Nagito opened his eyes one morning, glancing around the room. "I'm awake?" He looked up to see your smiling face.

"Hello again, old friend."

He smiled, a genuine smile, and leapt into your arms. "My hope," he murmured in your ear.

 **THE END** (not quite!)


	23. Epilogue - Two Mortals, One Heart

"Okay, let's do this!" Akane yelled, fist-bumping Nekomaru.

"Alright." Gundham stood in front of you and Nagito, clearing his throat.

"You look so beautiful," he whispered to you.

"Alright, mortals!" he proclaimed. "Mortal Nagito Komaeda, do you take mortal (Y/N) (L/N) as your lawfully-wedded wife, to have and to hold for all of eternity?"

He rolled his eyes. "I do."

"And mortal (Y/N) (L/N), do you take mortal Nagito Komaeda as your lawfully-wedded husband, to have and to hold for all of eternity?"

"I do."

"Does anyone object?" He scanned the crowd.

"Fuck no!" Fuyuhiko shouted. "You go, (Y/N)!"

"You may now kiss the bride." Gundham closed his suspicious-looking book.

"EXCUSE ME!" Nekomaru roared, causing you to stop. "I THINK 'FACE BATTLE' SOUNDS BETTER!"

"Oh my god, Mahiru! Did you show him tumblr?!" Hajime snapped.

"Maybe!"

"FACE BATTLE THE BRIDE!" Nekomaru ordered.

"Alright, alright!" You and Nagito kissed, gaining cheers and applause from your classmates.

"Who's ready for the reception?" Ibuki waved her arms around. "Ibuki composed the perfect music!"

"I choreographed the perfect dance!" Hiyoko added.

"I made the perfect cake!" Teruteru held it up proudly. "Be careful you don't drop it, Miss Sonia! I might accidentally look up your skirt!"

"Perverted bastard!" Fuyuhiko shouted, shoving him.

"Oh crap," you muttered, and then you were covered in cake.

"Great job." Nagito tried wiping some of the frosting off his tuxedo.

"Watch out!" You smushed some in his face. "Sorry, I slipped!"

He glared at you, then let out a playful growl as he threw bits of cake at you. "No mercy!"

"Nagito!" Everyone watched as you two chased each other around, trying to see who could get the most cake on the other person.

"Oh dear," Mikan sighed.

"Ugh, they're so lovey-dovey," Akane groaned.

"I think it's cute!" Mahiru started taking pictures as Peko watched with a slight smile.

"So Peko," Ibuki began, "when are you and Fuyuhiko getting married?"

"Hey, shut up!" Fuyuhiko snapped.

"Also, Mahiru and Hiyoko, Akane and Nekomaru, and Sonia and Gundham!"

"Hey, I'm the one who should be marrying Miss Sonia!" Kazuichi butted in.

"Hey, she's MY Dark Lady!" Gundham hissed.

"Oh boy..." Hajime facepalmed.

"Got you!" Nagito tackled you into the ocean, laughing with you. "That'll teach you for getting cake on me!"

"You did it too!" you shot back. The two of you washed up onshore, giggling like little kids.

"Aha...I haven't had that much fun in a long time."

"Same here." You looked down, realizing you were straddling him. "Oops."

"It's okay, I like you right here," he mumbled.

"I'm getting an odd sense of déjà vu right now," you mused.

"This is what happened when we first met," he reminded you.

"Exactly what happened."

"Well, there's one thing that's missing."

"What's that?" You gazed down at him with a confused expression.

"This." He raised his head up to meet your lips, eyes fluttering shut. You tangled your fingers in his hair, humming softly. He broke away, eyes shining. "I love you, (Y/N)."

"Even after what I apparently did with Junko?" you whispered softly.

"Yes, I forgive you." He gave you another smile. "It's not your fault."

"I love you too, Nagito." You stayed on the beach for a while, all sense of time being lost.

"You look so beautiful tonight," he suddenly said. "I like the dress you picked out."

"Mahiru helped me with that." You looked up at the moon. "You look so beautiful in the moonlight."

"I do?"

"Yeah, it's reflecting off your hair and skin perfectly."

"Hm." Nagito closed his eyes. "Let's go back, I'm feeling kind of chilly in these wet clothes."

"Me too. Besides, I know what will warm us up," you winked.

A sly smile spread across his face. "You got yourself a deal." He carried you the rest of the way to your cottage, both of you smiling at each other.


End file.
